31 Days of Seeing Beyond

Three deaths over the last month have left me tired…..and sad. My beloved great aunt……a dear friend’s niece who took her own life… and my stepsister – who passed after nearly 4 weeks in the ICU fighting to recover from extremely rare childbirth complications. It’s my stepsister’s passing that brings me most often to my knees. I cry out to the Lord on behalf of her third child, a now 1-month old baby boy who will never know his mother.

They say there is a cycle of grief. It has various stages. And I’m watching devastated people go through it now. But in the midst of all this anguish, I have been blessed to remain thankful and aware of God’s infinite goodness. I have also been given new opportunities to serve Him, and follow Him more closely – sometimes in ways that push me beyond old boundaries. I posted a prayer for my stepsister on Facebook. And soon, the family requested more. It seemed the Lord wanted to use me. It made me both nervous and strangely excited – not because people appreciated my writing, but because I had stumbled upon a way to really serve. And I learned – when there are people hurting, perhaps then more than ever, the Lord wants me step out of my safety zone and walk in new terrain, keeping my eyes on Him.

About 10 days ago, I saw the invitation from Myquillin Smith to take the 31-Day Challenge and write in October. I could hear the whisper that always leads me to good places — “Try this” — and felt that tinge – of joy. And as I sat down to write tonight, I remembered a verse I taped to the front page of one of my journals four years ago when I first intended to write in earnest – but never really did.

A bruised reed he will not break,

a smoldering wick he will not quench….

— Matthew 12:20

The Word is full, so full, of promises. And for myself and so many people I love, I am holding on to this one right now. Whether we are writing or just trying to get on with living day by day, the terrain in my world seems new and tough. We are bruised and bent over, trampled and beaten down, hardly like flames alight. But when I fix my gaze on Him, when I ready myself through surrendering prayer, I am given all the strength I need.

Lord, help us. Thank you for the confidence you’ve given me – the knowledge that you alone are fully trustworthy, and that you are my only true help – my Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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How brave, how trusting to follow that still, small voice and take pen to paper. I’m eager to see where He takes you and honored to be along for the journey my beloved friend. I am quite certain He has great plans for you in your new endeavor!

Thank you for your courage writing your blog. And thank you for allowing friends of Claudia to see it. We know we will go through tough times in this world, but we also know that peace comes from God, when we need it most. Death, health problems, marriage problems, issues with children, all can leave you drained and in despair. I thank you for having written your blog, as you will never know how you touched me today, a stranger to you, to seek God’s wisdom and peace at a time of deep pain and distress over my marriage. Thank you for reminding me that God is the infinite well of peace.

I deeply appreciate your very kind words. The Lord is indeed sovereign over everything in our lives, even those moments where we wonder why He is allowing pain and suffering to enter in. I often think of the “tapestry” analogy – that this life is like looking at the back of a tapestry. Right now, all we see is a tangle of knots and thread – lines going in every direction. But one day, when we get to the other side, we’ll see that it’s actually a picture more beautiful than words could ever express, and that every thread has a distinct purpose in the larger image.

Thank you again for writing. I will keep you and your marriage in prayer, asking that God will enter in and heal the hurt.